Gelatin fining clears beer and wine of their suspended particles by allowing them to coagulate and settle. The result leaves you with a crystal clear beverage that tastes as good as it looks.

How does it work? When you mix gelatin in beer and wine, it uses an electrostatic strategy to bind with proteins, tannins and remaining yeast. The gelatin uses electrically attractive opposite charges that result in a stable particle with a neutral charge. That reaction causes the proteins, tannins and yeast to rapidly fall to the bottom of the beer or wine.

Fining with Gelatin Recipes

Fining with gelatin gets rid of any hazy coloring, provides ultimate clarity and creates a higher quality of beer and wine. Once you add gelatin to your list of wine and beer making supplies, we recommend the following recipes.

Gelatin Fining in Beer

While many liquids can benefit from gelatin fining, beer is one of the most popular. As a rule of thumb, dissolved and prepared gelatin is added just before bottling up beer.

First, you need to prepare the gelatin. To do this, add one tablespoon to one pint of cold water. Gently heat the water until the gelatin dissolves. Refrain from boiling the gelatin solution, as this will produce undesirable results. Once the gelatin has fully dissolved (or “bloomed”), mix the solution into the beer. Give it one to two weeks to settle before bottling your beer.

Gelatin Fining in Wine

Gelatin fining is a great solution for removing phenols and tannins from wine. We recommend using one teaspoon for every five gallons of wine.

To start, soak the gelatin in cold water for approximately one hour. Next, boil the solution until it dissolves and then add it to your wine. Once that’s complete, rack your wine within two to three weeks.

Benefits of Gelatin in Beer and Wine

Whether you’re brewing or enjoying a glass for yourself, gelatin fining in beer and wine offers many advantages. The following benefits make fining with gelatin a great solution: